Flashlights that produce red light are often used by pilots, military personnel, and other persons who must examine maps, instrument panels in case of a power failure in the cockpit, and the like without decreasing their night vision capacity. In fact, the U.S. Government (FAA) requires that a red flashlight be available to commercial pilots. However, it is desirable that these flashlights be capable of emitting white light when this is required. A common arrangement is to provide a color filter that can be snapped over the lens to produce red light or removed for white light. However, the snapped-on lenses become lost. It should be noted that some persons prefer a different color than red, such as green light.
Applicant has been manufacturing and selling a full size flashlight (that takes two D-size batteries, or cells) with a built-in mechanism that can switch between red light and white light modes. The flashlight includes a tube of material that transmits primarily red light and that is slideably mounted on the flashlight lens between rearward and forward positions wherein the tube respectively surrounds and does not surround the lamp of the flashlight. In the rearward position, the tube intercepts substantially all light passing between the lamp and the reflector so the flashlight produces red light. In a forward position, almost all light from the lamp can reach the reflector without passing through the tube, so the flashlight produces white light. Although this flashlight has been successful, there are some disadvantages in its operation. One disadvantage is that a person must grasp a small fastener knob lying at the middle of the lens to pull the tube forwardly. This requires a person holding the flashlight in one hand to use his other hand to pull the fastener. Thus, operation requires the use of two hands, with the hand pulling the fastener not being enclosed in a glove.
Applicant has attempted to design a miniature flashlight (taking two AA-size cells) similar to the above-described type that has a slideable hood. However, the difficulty in grasping the fastener become much more pronounced for a small size flashlight because the knob would lie in a small diameter (e.g. less than one inch) recess in which the lens lies. A flashlight that could be switched between color and white light modes, which could be easily operated by fingers of the same hand that normally grasps the flashlight, and in a simple manner, would be of considerable value.